Tulsa Pride director to step down

Tulsa Pride 2014 is here and I can’t believe we’ve got another year in the books. I want to thank the Board of Directors of Oklahomans for Equality for allowing me the opportunity to work on the Tulsa Pride planning committee for the last five years and to Chair it for the last three.

It is with great sadness that I announce that 2014 will be my final year as Pride Director. I have loved it so much, but it is time that I move on to allow others a chance to lead Tulsa Pride as an instrument of change and Celebration in our community.

In my time on the planning committee, we’ve seen attendance double at Tulsa Pride. We revamped the business model completely to insure that we use the generous donations of our partners and community to put on a top notch Celebration. We’ve seen the planning committee grow from a dinner table with five members to public monthly meetings with 30 or more in attendance.

Tula Pride has grown to be a best practices leader in our region and a shining example of how to put on a pride that is financially sound and resilient while meeting the community’s diverse and multi-faceted expectations.

I will continue to work with the Tulsa Pride planning committee, help bring on new leaders, and volunteer whenever possible. I plan to represent Oklahomans for Equality and Tulsa Pride as the InterPride Region 3 Director.

Finally, I want to thank my husband Jesse for suggesting I get a hobby so I would get out of his hair. Without the constant love and support I receive from my husband and my family, I’m sure I couldn’t have done it. My mother Mary Ann and her partner Stacey have served on the parade team for three years and my sister Amy has been the best straight ally a boy could ask for.

Thank you, Tulsa. Thank you, Oklahoma. With gratitude and Pride, Patrick French.

Patrick French is the Director of Tulsa Pride, a member of the Board of Directors of Oklahomans for Equality, and the Director of InterPride Region 3 covering KS, CO, OK, NM, & TX.

by Patrick French, Tulsa Pride Director

The Gayly – June 10, 2014 @ 10:25am